In the printing industry, ink is often sold in prepackaged containers that are advertised or labeled with a target number of pages that can be printed with the ink. Achieving accurate page yields using the ink in the container fulfills user expectations, allows for accurate scheduling for replacement ink cartridges, and maintains print quality. Ideally, the amount of ink in the container would be just enough to print the target number of pages. However, variations in printheads, print settings, page content and other factors can cause the target number of pages to be missed. There may be too little ink to reach the target number of pages or excess ink remaining in the container after the target number of pages has been met.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.